The Wyoming Centennial Farm & Ranch Program annually honors families who have owned and operated the same farm or ranch for 100 years or more. Each year, the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office and its program partners host a celebration to honor these families.
More than 300 families have been honored through the program since it was reestablished in 2006. An annual yearbook is published and features the histories and photos of the Centennial families.
Nominations for honorees for the 2024 program are due July 1, 2024. For more information about the program and the application, go to https://wyoshpo.wyo.gov/ and follow the Centennial Farm and Ranch Program link.
The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office partners with the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Rural Electric Association, Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming Wool Growers Association, and Wyoming Livestock Roundup to honor Centennial families at a ceremony each year during the Wyoming State Fair. Families receive a framed certificate signed by the governor and a large Centennial sign to display on their property. The honorary award does not place any requirements or expectations on the family.
The stories and histories of Wyoming’s Centennial Farms and Ranches are published in the Centennial Farm & Ranch yearbooks. Yearbooks have been published since 2006 by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office to celebrate and highlight our state’s agricultural heritage. Each Centennial family is invited to submit their family history and photographs and is provided with a free copy. All yearbooks are available to download for free. Printed yearbooks can also be purchased at our office in Cheyenne or by mail.
The history of Wyoming’s farms and ranches is the history of Wyoming, and its people and Centennial families have played a key role in preserving Wyoming’s heritage. A Centennial farm or ranch embodies the story of a landscape that is uniquely tied to a family’s history. But these farms and ranches are not just a part of history; they remain vital today and hopefully well into the future.
Please feel free to contact Renée Bovée at (307) 777-6312 or email [email protected] for more information.